I've eaten at Donatello in Bologna twice now, and my most recent visit was every bit as wonderful as the first. This place is famous for a reason. Even as they get busier and busier each year, the staff does their best to accommodate everyone. That said, definitely make a reservation. You'll want the extra time to savor your meal instead of feeling rushed. I've ordered the lasagna both times, and I'm officially loyal. It's rich, comforting, and everything I hope for when I'm in Bologna. I'll absolutely be back... and yes, I'll be getting the lasagna again. read more

Ristorante Donatello - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Bologna, BO

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The walls are lined with over 1000 pictures of supposedly famous Italian people that have visited. We were seated quickly, service was fast, and the food was delightful. My wife said her pasta was the best she had ever had. Our main server was polite and friendly, but one of the secondary servers was looking at us skeptically and rolling her eyes, as is sometimes typical when serving English speaking customers. read more

Ristorante Donatello - Tagliatelle al pomodoro and sage ravioli - Italian Near Me - Bologna, BO

Super gorgeous restaurant in a prime location! May be a little touristy but the food and service was great. They specialized in cream based dishes which was a nice change. Overall, really enjoyed the food and would recommend! read more

Ristorante Donatello - Interior - Italian Near Me - Bologna, BO

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One of our favorite meals in Bologna was Ristorante Donatello. It has been open for over 110+ years! Our server was fantastic and treated us to the famous mortadella and parmigiano reggiano of the land to start our meal. Truly spectacular and oh so simple. The crystals of the parmigiano told us the story of its age (24 months) and went perfectly with the soft mortadella. The tastes of Bologna speak to both my and Mike's soul: his the tagliatelle bolognese, and mine the tortellini en brodo. Donatello's bolognese smacks you in the most with its layers of delicious slow cooked flavors of the meats and veggies and the homemade tagliatelle wraps its arms around the sauce for the perfect bite every time. If you know me, broth is one of my favorite foods and with each little meat filled tortellini, I was in heaven ‍ For our second course we tried the veal cutlet in parmigiano cream, with mushrooms and perfectly roasted potatoes. Rich and delicious, we were so stuffed afterwards but not too stuffed for dessert. Dolce: my absolute fav, tiramisu. This was soft and airy and light and so so good. We'll be dreaming about this in the states until we return. Ristorante Donatello was so good we went back on our final night. Definitely a must try if you find yourself in Bologna - best to call and make a reservation! It's packed all the time (for good reason). They speak English so it is quite easy to reserve your table read more

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The food is simple yet super tasty. The menu is not that complicated. Mainly pastas and meat. The service is excellent, super fast and the ambiance is authentic. Looks like an establishment. read more

Ristorante Donatello - Main dining hall - Italian Near Me - Bologna, BO

This was actually my least favorite meal in Bologna. Not sure why they have high ratings?! First, the man that seated us was very rude. We walked in at 7pm (opening) and asked for a table for two. I explained we had no reservation so I understood if they couldn't accommodate. After going back and forth with the wait staff, he finally came back and said yes. Meanwhile, the entire place was empty for a solid 30 mins. And only half full when we left. Our server took things off the table before we had even used them. For instance, we got some salad and they brought the olive oil and balsamic. The waiter took them away before we even dressed the salad! We got our food and they took away the cheese within 3 mins. I had to ask for things back. The food was not good. Potatoes tasted like they were made days ago and reheated in a microwave. Tortellini weren't cooked. Bread was hard. The panna cotta had way too much gelatin and barely even moved (should have a jiggle). The restaurant was well decorated and clean. But the woman walking around (I assume the owner?) moved multiple people, including us, during the meal. Not a fan. read more

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I love this place. I have been coming here for 20 years. Had the lasagna bolognese which was very delicate in texture. Side plate of spinach which was ok but don't expect too much from spinach. The place was packed at 8 pm. So get here early at 7 pm if you don't have a reservation. read more

It took a little time to make a reservation at this restaurant, but we finally did. This restaurant has been open since 1903. The décor is charming, old world elegance. There are many dining rooms. We were seated in the main dining. Reservations are a must here! Carlo, our server, was attentive and friendly. We decided to share a first and second course. Our first course was Strette alla Romagnola (pasta noodles with ham and cheese in a white sauce). The second course was their special of the day, rolled veal with, herbs, pine nuts and grapes served on a skewer with roasted potatoes. The food was beautifully prepared and presented. We enjoyed a bottle of the Sangiovese Celli - their house red wine, which was very drinkable. To finish our lovely dinner, we had the tenerina con mascarpone (chocolate cake with sweet and soft cream) and one espresso. Our total bill for the first, second, dessert, wine, water, espresso, cover and service was € 52. It was a lovely wedding anniversary dinner! read more

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Best meal I've had in my life, can't wait to go back! Get the bolognese! Also got the block of parm reg as an appetizer ! read more

Ristorante Donatello - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Bologna, BO

This restaurant is stunning, historic, a place to be romantic with someone, it's got the characteristics of a restaurant to be loved. From the website, "The Fanciullacci family has been running the Donatello Restaurant since 1903, the oldest restaurant in Bologna....." Very nice reviews also from most sources. I've come here a handful of dinners and loved my meals here. We came for lunch, 4 of us, because most restaurants were closed for lunch. You walk in and you immediately are on cloud 9--- it's just beautiful here, like dining in a classic home or villa. The desserts were delicious, the salumi typical of Bolognese high standards but was disappointed with the pastas. The management here to cut costs during lunch, pre-cook pastas and offer it as a lunch special, a sampler of 3 pastas on a plate....nice but pre-cooked and warmed? Not acceptable, Period. Not in Bologna, the phattest town in Italia. "Che Schifo!" Visits: 4 Tip: If you come here for lunch request items cooked to order, not the lunch specials of 3 pastas on a plate. read more

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In Bologna, a city acclaimed to be the culinary capital of Italy, where does one find the best tagliatelle al ragu, aka pasta with Bolognese sauce? Thanks to the recommendation of our hotel, we discovered Ristorante Donatello, a family-owned restaurant founded in 1903. Upon entering the restaurant, you notice all the photos of celebrities on the walls that have stopped by to dine at this institution. 3 of us ordered their 3 pasta special which was a sampling of lasagna with bechamel sauce, tortelloni, and grimagnia with pork sauce. We also ordered their tagliatelle al ragu. All 3 pastas were so fresh and delicious. And the grimagnia, a pasta similar to spaghetti but with shorter strands, was by far my favorite pasta. For dessert, we ordered torrincino (ice cream with nougatine and also a Bologna specialty) and a traditional tiramisu. Both were outstanding! We even got to meet the owners at the end, what a lovely end to our delicious meal. For its ambiance, service, and food, Ristorante Donatello was unanimously our favorite restaurant during our week in Italy! read more

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Hearing a lot about Bologna food, we decided to try out Ristorante Donatello, as it was among top-rated restaurants. The atmosphere was really good- beautiful ceilings, walls with photographs, and extremely polite and friendly staff. Food is priced slightly higher than average, especially when it comes to starters (7-10 EUR), but the quality and the taste of main dishes is fantastic. There is a 3 euro surcharge for person, which I find a bit cheeky, especially if you are having only one dish. But again, the taste was superb! read more

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The service here was as good as anything we experienced in Italy. The server was attentive and helpful. A couple that I think were the owners were always nearby and involved. We had the house wine, a couple pasta dishes, and the chocolate cake for dessert. The wine was excellent and super reasonable. The pasta dishes were pretty good (portions were fairly large), we didn't ask for recommendations here and I'm afraid I mis-ordered because everything else I saw coming out looked pretty incredible (the cutlet Donatello was jaw dropping). The dessert was superb. If we were going to be in Bologna longer, we would definitely be back. Highly recommend. read more

A risotto : ma que gustado !!! An ambiance, very cozy, from the early XIX to nowaday, full of VIP pictures. Not expansive. To be tested read more

Very elegant dining in Bologna. Made a reservation as we weren't sure if there would be open tables when we arrived. Great lasagna, grilled filet, and awesome tiramisu for dessert. Highly recommend! read more

I felt very unwelcome in this restaurant. I seemed to have offended the man sitting at the table next to us by sitting in the seat next to the wall instead of the seat towards the center of the room. Apparently not speaking Italian very well at this restaurant is also not welcome. The attitude by most of the staff felt frosty. The food was good, but what good is a tasty meal if you can't enjoy the ambiance? We chose this restaurant specifically because it showed that the dining experience was casual on Yelp. If that is not the case and the owners want to restrict the clientele to more formal diners, then they need to make that known on Yelp, on the restaurant door, or by the wait staff on entry. read more

A historic and revered restaurant. A must visit in Bologna. We had a full meal heard with a large group, trying everything from a variety of antipasti (cheeses and mortadella, etc), to excellent primi piatti (bolognese linguini, spaghetti CJ Tartufo and pecorino), veal and a a variety of other meats for secondi. The tiramisu and crema con ciaccolato were all amazing. The hosts were gracious and the decor was about as authentic as you can get. Go, you will not be sorry! read more

Excellent restaurant you can't go wrong with anything you choose. Don't forget to order dessert, the Italian chocolate ice cream is amazing . The service is very good, ask for Carolina she is the best And the owner is very pleasant and helpful read more

Dad and I ate there on our last night in Italy. It was a lovely place, with great attention to detail and love of service. The food was good - we had some traditional dishes and enjoyed everything - but the service was wonderful and made the place. read more

Nice historic place in downtown. They have plenty of space and take reservations. The menu is large and since we were a large group, we decided to order a mix of their specialities. They bring us plates with 3 different kind of pasta, and they also disposed salad and grilled meat on the table for sharing. The selection was surprising to me, but why not! Food is fresh, but not amazing, however it is nicely cooked here. I loved their french fries. I didn't tried their dessert or coffee. Service is fast and friendly, would recommend this place for the convenience. But I am not sure return here by myself. read more

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Delicious food, nice atmosphere and reasonably priced. The only disappointment was it was so hot inside it was unpleasant to sit and dine leisurely. read more

Nice traditional Italian restaurant. Had excellent pasta dishes for lunch. Probably an better dinner place. Has been around since 1905. Prompt and attentive staff. Good for large parties. read more

Excellent service and great food. We enjoyed the three pasta dis which allowed us to sample three different pastas. The restaurant has a great story, it's been around since 1903 and has photos of famous people all over the restaurant. The painted ceilings are absolutely beautiful, the decor is incredible. The food was very good. read more

I absolutely love Ristorante Donatello. This is my favorite place in Bologna. I stumbled upon Donatello a year ago while I was in Bologna for 3 weeks studying. This year I returned to Florence and dragged my husband on the train to Bologna for dinner here. My favorite dish is the Ravioli with butter and sage, but you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. In addition to the food, the service is excellent and the owners are always on the floor welcoming guests and ensuring they have a great experience. read more